Koujaku
'Koujaku '''is one of the main characters in DRAMAtical Murder. Koujaku is the leader of his Rib team Benishigure. He is voiced by Takahashi Hiroki. History Koujaku is Aoba's childhood friend, even though they didn't spend a lot of time together for very long. They first met when Aoba was being picked on for looking feminine and having long hair, to which Koujaku immediately came to his defense. Due to his mother and Aoba's grandmother being on good terms with each other, Koujaku and Aoba began spending more time with each other, playing often. Unfortunately, Koujaku along with his mother, soon left Midorijima Island, upsetting Aoba in the process. When he left Midorijima, he returned back to his hometown where his clan resided. Koujaku's father is part of the yakuza while his mother was the head yakuza's mistress. As a teenager (presu mably fourteen or fifteen years old) Koujaku became acquainted with Ryuuhou, a tattoo artist. Afterward, his father forced Koujaku into getting tattooed by him, despite Koujaku's protests. Wanting to test out a new method by Toue based on human control, Ryuuhou happily obliged and experimented on Koujaku with his new skills. After a long, painful process, Ryuuhou tells Koujaku to never get too angry and learn to keep his temper under control lest he regret it. Koujaku later becomes angry, his tattoos causing him to go out of control, and goes on a killing rampage, murdering his mother by accident in the process. Snapping out of his violent stupor and realizing what he had done, Koujaku couldn't forgive himself and decided to kill himself using the same blade he used moments ago. However, before he could, he suddenly remembered Aoba and saw his smiling face in his mind. Emotions overflowed Koujaku and he began to cry, dropping his sword. Wanting to see him again and get away from his past sins, Koujaku decided to go back to Midorijima. At first he acted very different and nervous to see Aoba again after a long time away from him, but soon loosened up and returned to normal. He teases Aoba after seeing him again, saying how cute he used to be and how he's all grown up, flustering his friend in the process. Koujaku works as a freelance hairdresser and opens up his store whenever he feels like it. He's very popular in his craft and doesn't take reservations, which causes women to often fight over whose turn it is to get their hair cut or styled by him. In Koujaku's good ending, Koujaku officially starts working full time after being able to cut Aoba's hair. Appearance ''It should be noted that in Koujaku's route and bad end, he takes on a total of two different appearances, excluding his default exterior. At an impressive 6'1", Koujaku is the second tallest main character, right behind Mink who is just an inch taller. He's of Japanese heritage, and has a light tan to his skin. He has a muscular build, his chest and abs visible through his bandages and kimono. He sports dark navy hair that is short and a little chopped at the top, the rest long enough to reach a little past his pecs, much like Aoba's. He has a thick fringe that covers the right side of his face and keeps the rest tied in a ponytail. He has red eyes that seem to be quite striking to whoever looks him in the face. Koujaku is known to wear a flashy red kimono, designed with decorations such as blue leaves, blossoms and birds, along with a golden sash to hold it up. He wears black arm bands with sandals to match and white bracelets on each wrist. Underneath his kimono he wears a pair of black jeans, the only modern piece of clothing that clashes with his traditional outfit. On his body he wears a sarashi and other bandages around his forearms and calves and feet. In his hair he sports a hair accessory and bears a large black neck cover with a red tassle hanging off of it. He is almost always seen carrying a large sword with him. Since his return to Midorijima, Koujaku's entire body is covered with scars that range in all sizes, the most notable ones being on his hands and one that runs across the bridge of his nose. About 85% of Koujaku's body is covered in large, detailed tattoos. He has two sets: the first being many black markings of an intricate pattern with two kanji symbols on his shoulder and below his knee. They range from the right side of his neck, chest, thigh, calf and ankle. The second is the most important tattoo and is present on his back. It portrays beautiful, highly detailed pink, lotus flowers that reach from the top of his back to right above his tailbone. When Kouj aku pulls back his hair from his face, it's revealed he intentionally styles his hair in such a way to hide his final tattoo, a small black marking that is drawn on the side of his face, spreading from his eyebrow to the bottom of his nose. In Koujaku's route, before confronting Ryuuhou in Oval Tower, Koujaku's tattoos begin to take control of him because of his anger, changing his looks slightly. His kimono becomes ripped and tattered along the edges and slips off, revealing Koujaku's torso and the expansion of his tattoos "blooming" on him. His hair becomes dissheveled and untied, beginning to take on a red hue starting from the bottom up. His eyes become pure red and his fingernails sharpen into claws. Blinded by pure rage and thirst for revenge, Koujaku lets out loud growls and screams, almost animalistic as Aoba helplessly watches on. Even after killing Ryuuhou, Koujaku's state does not change and seemingly becomes worse as he attacks Aoba, unable to recognize him. In his bad ending (see below), Koujaku is completely consumed by his tattoos. The lotus flowers now bloom nearly all over his torso and his hair is a pure blood red. In his eyes, his scleras are also red while his iris' are of a yellow tint. His teeth are much more sharper, almost like fangs, and has long claws on his hands which are bound behind him. He does not wear his trademark kimono anymore but rather a white robe-like garment in its place. Like in his previous form, the robe falls to the sides exposing his torso. Koujaku has lost the ability to speak properly, saliva dripping from his mouth often, and is in a constant state of rage due to Aoba failing Scrap. Personality Koujaku is shown to be a very compassionate man. He's strong-willed and is usually kind to those he meets, the only exceptions being Mink and Noiz. He enjoys staying over at Aoba's place and eating Tae's homemade cooking, complimenting its quality every single time. Although gentle, Koujaku harbors large amounts of anger and self-loathing after killing his mother. He does his best to hide this side of him by keeping positive and being around Aoba most of the time. Koujaku is very popular with girls and flirts with them whenever he gets the chance to, even inviting them over to his home. It's heavily implied he sleeps around, much to Aoba's disgust and discontent. However, in his good route, Koujaku stops altogether after he realizes that he's truly in love with Aoba. Although a ladykiller and having absolutely zero problems talking to women, Koujaku becomes unbelievably flustered when trying to confess to Aoba. They both share an awkward silence and short conversations, Koujaku beating around the bush while Aoba tries to understand what is going on. Koujaku blushes heavily around him, turning his face away while choking out words, something out of character for someone who flirts so much. Koujaku states he still likes girls, both in-game and in the April Fool's Special, but has never felt anything like what he feels for Aoba (the feeling being so strong that he couldn't kill it, no matter how hard he tried to forget it). It could just be that Aoba is the only man Koujaku has true feelings for, but this leads some fans to speculate that Koujaku is bisexual. Story Common Route (under construction!) Koujaku's Route Koujaku and Aoba arrive at Flame Willow, a traditional Japanese-styled red town with lanterns floating in the air. When two girls approach them and ask Koujaku to go with them to a party, he agrees, shocking Aoba. Koujaku does not return to Glitter until much later, which heavily worries Aoba. He begins to disappear at night for periods of time. Unable to ignore it any longer, Aoba secretly follows his friend to a building, which turns out to be a club. Inside, the blaring music and flashing lights cause Aoba to become dizzy and fall to the ground. Koujaku finds him and asks if he's all right. Then, Aoba vomits on Koujaku's kimono shocking everyone. Mortified, Aoba apologizes for ruining Koujaku's kimono, but his friend tells him it's fine and cleans Aoba's face with his kimono sleeve. Later, Koujaku kneels and tells Aoba to get on his back. Relying on Koujaku, he complies and they both retreat out of the building to the hotel. Aoba wakes up and hears the water running, walking towards the bathroom, he see's Koujaku and is suprised to see all the scars and tattoos. Good Ending Aoba conveys to Koujaku not to lose and to never give in (まけるな). After he successfully delivers the message to him, Koujaku then reveals the truth to Aoba about everything, including his past and his feelings. They return back to the real world, Koujaku no longer controlled by his tattoos and back in his normal state. They escape with the rest of Benishigure after taking down numerous guards. Once Oval Tower begins to crumble, Koujaku and Aoba are sent to the hospital back in the Old Resident District. Koujaku stayed longer than Aoba, the latter soon returning to work. Koujaku later shows up during Aoba's shift, saying he's been discharged and would like to come over to Aoba's house later. Aoba says that Tae is working late and so he won't be able to eat her cooking, to which Koujaku replies that it's fine. This surprises Aoba a little but he agrees. After eating a meal prepared by Aoba, they both head up to Aoba's room and sit on his bed. At first, the air is thick and there is an awkward atmosphere between the two. Aoba wonders where it's coming from, confused by the sudden turn and realizes that Koujaku is keeping his distance by sitting a bit far from him. Aoba childishly scoots in, making Koujaku uncomfortable but he doesn't protest. When Aoba tries to speak up. Koujaku does the exact same, resulting in an awkward "you go first" moment. Koujaku then tells Aoba the truth about his revenge over Ryuuhou, that when had he found out he was in Platinum Jail, he knew it would be a good chance to kill him. He then asks Aoba if he remembers what happened in Glitter, to which Aoba confirms. Koujaku says he's truly sorry for what he did and that he had no control over himself, Aoba saying it was fine and knew Koujaku would never force himself on his friend on purpose like that. Koujaku nods, but says that while bleak, he vaguely remember the sensations of being able to touch Aoba like that. Aoba blushes at this, asking where this is suddenly coming from. Koujaku, not looking Aoba in the face, begins to tell Aoba his true feelings. Ever since they had come back from Platinum Jail, Koujaku couldn't get Aoba out of his mind. He tried to kill the feeling off, but it was so strong and struck so deep in his heart that he couldn't. Not knowing what else to say, Koujaku grabs Aoba's hand in his and says that he's fallen in love with him, and that he's always loved him, ever since they were kids. This takes Aoba back, saying that he never thought his best friend would ever tell him such a thing. When Koujaku asks Aoba how he feels in return, Aoba pauses and thinks. Sorting his feelings out, he realized that if he didn't feel the same for Koujaku, he wouldn't be thinking so hard on it and responds that he loves him as well. This sends Koujaku into an overjoyed state and he happily kisses Aoba, shoving him on the bed in the process. In the middle of having sex, Aoba suddenly feels a drop of liquid on his chest and looks up to see Koujaku having a nosebleed. They stop and Koujaku becomes incredibly flustered, wiping his nose furiously, saying that this also happened with a girl before. It takes Aoba a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, Koujaku mumbling that it's Aoba's fault for making the blood rush to his head. Aoba then breaks into laughter, causing Koujaku to pout and ask what he thought was so funny. Aoba responds with a simple "I love you", making Koujaku forget about it instantly, and they continue making love. Time passes and Aoba eventually starts living at Koujaku's place. Tae is starting to realize Aoba and K oujaku's relationship has grown stronger, but decides to keep quiet about it. Koujaku completely stops flirting with women, remaining faithful to Aoba in all senses of the word. Aoba is then seen with short hair, which Koujaku had trimmed himself and keeps the excess hair in a jar. Aoba finds disgusting but after Koujaku talks to Aoba about it (who refers it to as "a strong speech"), he lets Koujaku keep the jar of hair. The last shot features Aoba getting up to make them breakfast before Koujaku heads out to work, Aoba narrating that since the ever unchanging, everyday things are so precious, there is not a single day that goes by where he isn't thankful. Bad Ending If Aoba fails to convey to Koujaku's to "don't give in", Koujaku becomes angry with Aoba after hearing him repeatedly say "it's fine" ("いいよ"), loses all reason and becomes a monster by giving into the tattoos on himself. Toue takes hold of Midorijima and the other Aoba takes control over Aoba, completely transforming his appearance and personality. Aoba takes care of Koujaku since he can no longer speak normally and his mind has now turned twisted. His condition was so dangerous that his arms were bound behind him. Aoba regrets that he failed Scrapping Koujaku, since he knew in Koujaku's mind that he wanted them together. Aoba accepted his feelings, but in the process of it, he lost his mind and ended up playing into Toue's hands. Koujaku resides locked up in a prison-like cell where Aoba visits him often. Relationships Noiz Noiz and Koujaku are always at each other's throats. Both often will call the other names and boast about how much stronger they are than the other, leading Aoba to have to break them apart. Noiz will often insult Koujaku by jabbing at his age, which is considered a highly rude gesture in Japan. Both seem to be on equal ground when it comes to physical confrontation as there was no winner or loser in their street fight (also because of the police breaking it up). Koujaku is highly wary of Noiz, and is always looking out for Aoba when it comes to him, despite Aoba insisting that it's fine. Despite their arguing, both are willing to put aside their differences and work together in order to help Aoba. Noiz also, while reluctant, listened to Koujaku when he motioned both him and Mink to put their hands in together for good luck. In their concept art, Koujaku and Noiz were originally supposed to be much more hot-headed and childish towards each other, fighting often and even breaking Aoba's furniture. However, this was toned down in their final designs. Humorously enough, they're still usually seen sitting or standing side by side in-game or in official art. Mink Being team leaders, Koujaku and Mink often fight over who is the head in charge when it comes to helping Aoba. Mink, possibly out of habit, gives out orders to Clear, Noiz and Koujaku automatically and it's usually the latter who speaks up about who made him in charge of things. Despite this, they're not very hostile towards each other and seem to be neutral towards each other for the most part. Both sides will surprisingly follow the other's instructions without question, such as when they were trapped in Rhyme in Ren's Route. Although being on neutral ground, their Allmates, Beni and Tori, are almost always arguing with each other, much to Mink's annoyance and Koujaku's obliviousness. Koujaku doesn't seem to mind that Mink calls him "Red" as a nickname. Clear Koujaku found Clear very odd from the moment they had met, being very vocal about it with Aoba and calling him a "weird, gas mask guy". When they gathered together in Heibon's basement to discuss Tae's whereabouts, Koujaku would speak with him about how he knows so much about the junk yard among other things to which Clear answers back enthusiastically. Both share the same trait of being very protective and caring for Aoba as they are always calling out his name and being by his side when he falls unconscious. Clear's noticable empathy towards Aoba makes Koujaku later warm up to him quickly. Outside of the game, Clear and Koujaku are drawn interacting with each other very often. They are usually drawn talking and laughing together or Clear will be shown to be very excited about something while Koujaku warmly looks on or smiles at him. In the April Fool's special, Clear and Koujaku were very open with each other and enjoyed being interviewed. They both had fun with it and Koujaku complimented Clear's sharp observation that Mink and Noiz did not deny being in love with someone. Gallery Koujaku3.png|Koujaku's first appearance. Early kounoiz fighting over aoba.png|Concept deisgns of Koujaku and Noiz fighting (along with another early cropped design of Koujaku). Koujaku's tattoos.png|Full body reference of Koujaku's tattoos from the official art book. Koujaku and Clear.png|Koujaku and Clear in the promotional art for Re:Connect. Hair.png|Koujaku with his hair down. Trivia *It is hinted that Koujaku is 27 years old. *Koujaku is shown to smoke occasionally, but never indoors. He seems to enjoy doing it on Aoba's veranda the most and after a meal. *It's revealed that the small noise Aoba heard in the Common route while he lay on his bed listening to music was from Koujaku peeking in his room and gazing at the the amount bliss on Aoba's face. Koujaku does admit this to Aoba, but asks he doesn't get mad that, since he couldn't get his expression out of his mind, he did something "indecent" over it (Aoba blushing hard since he knows exactly what Koujaku did). Category:Character Category:Main Category:Main Character